Langhorne, PA – On a brisk and blustery afternoon the Highlanders were defeated 9-3 by the Cyclones of Centenary College in conference action. With the loss, Cairn fell to 8-23 overall and 1-12 in the CSAC. Centenary improved to 15-4 overall and 6-7 in conference play.
Tyson Rohrs started the game from the mound for the Highlanders and pitched eight innings with four earned runs and three strikeouts.
Caleb Lang pitched the ninth inning to finish things off for Cairn.
The Cyclones took an early 2-0 lead in the game after the first inning but Cairn scored three runs in the bottom of the second inning to go ahead by one.
Trent Fiori laid down a sacrifice bunt that scored
John Burlaga but the pitcher threw the ball away from the first baseman and Fiori reached on the error.
Tristan Ortega then scored on an error by the catcher in an attempt to pick off Ortega at third base. Ortega was hit in the back with the throw when he was diving back to third base and the ball ricocheted over the third base line. The Highlanders then took the lead 3-2 when Fiori scored on groundout.
The Highlanders looked to be in control of the game after they took the lead and went the next four innings without allowing a run. In the fourth inning, Cairn made a few smart plays with runners on to keep Centenary from scoring. The Highlanders ended the inning with runners on the corners; both runners then tried to steal and the runner on third was thrown out at home, 1-3-2.
The Cyclones broke through in the top of the seventh when Ryan Caparoni hit a triple to right-center field to score one run. The next batter up then hit a deep fly ball to center field for the sacrifice fly and scored Caparoni.
Caleb Lang had to make an acrobatic grab in center to keep Centenary from doing more damage in the inning.
Caleb Lang made a more impressive catch than that in the eighth inning when Ryan Kanner hit a powerful shot to dead center field that Lang had to sprint to and make the leaping grab. However it wouldn't be enough to keep Centenary off the board in the next inning.
Centenary scored five more runs in the top of the ninth without collecting a hit in the inning. There were four walks and one hit-by-pitch to get the runners on base. The runs were then scored on three errors; two runs on each of the first two errors and one on the third. The Cyclones took the 9-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning.
Unfortunately Cairn could not get any runners on base in their last at bat and the game ended 9-3. The Highlanders will have to fight again for a win when they travel to Centenary College tomorrow, Apr. 25, for a doubleheader with the Cyclones.
